[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 204 (Thursday, October 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56698-56702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-28288]


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UNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY


Fulbright Senior Scholar Program

Notice: Request for proposals.

SUMMARY: The Office of Academic Programs of the United States 
Information Agency's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs 
announces an open competition for an assistance award. Pursuant to its 
grant guidelines established cooperatively with the Congress, ``The 
Bureau seeks to promote competition and balance in its discretionary 
grant-making and strives to avoid exclusivity.'' Public and private 
non-profit organizations meeting the provisions described in IRS 
regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may submit proposals to provide 
administrative and program services for the Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program in Fiscal Year 2000. In this request for Proposals, the U.S. 
Information Agency is placing the administrative cooperative agreement 
award for the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program in competition for the 
first time in the 52-year history of the Program. Deadline for receipt 
of proposals is February 8, 1999. The cooperative agreement will begin 
o/a October 1, 1999.

Program Information

Overview

    The Fulbright Program was created by the U.S. Congress at the end 
of World War II to exchange U.S. and foreign students and scholars, 
providing them with the opportunity to experience firsthand the 
political, economic and cultural institutions and societies in each 
other's countries. In the intervening years, the Fulbright Program has 
evolved into the premier educational exchange program sponsored by the 
people of the United States through their federal government, and thus 
an important element in the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs. The 
Fulbright Program, which now extends to approximately 140 foreign 
countries and involves 5,000 participants overall every year, has 
helped to form and inform tens of thousands of the world's leaders in 
every academic and professional field. The Senior Scholar portion of 
the Fulbright Program will engage approximately 1500 scholars and 
professionals in FY 1999.
    The hallmark of the Fulbright Program is binationalism. The United 
States and foreign governments, educational and other public and 
private institutions are all partners in this enterprise. In many 
countries of the world, financial contributions from governments or 
public/private sources match or exceed those of the United States. 
Because of its binational nature, the profile of the Fulbright Program 
worldwide reflects a range of objectives and interests.
    The Fulbright Program's grant-making authority is contained in the 
Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, Pub. L. 87-256, 
as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The purpose of the 
Act is ``to enable the Government of the United States to increase 
mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the 
people of other countries* * *; to strengthen the ties which unite us 
with other nations by demonstrating the educational and cultural 
interest, developments, and achievements of the people of the United 
States and other nations* * * and thus to assist in the development of 
friendly, sympathetic and peaceful relations between the United States 
and the other countries of the world.'' The Fulbright Program is funded 
through annual Congressional appropriations to USIA and receives 
significant financial support from partner governments and private 
donors worldwide.
    In July 1997, a distinguished group of private U.S. and 
international professionals organized as the Steering Committee on the 
Future of the Fulbright Educational Exchange Program, under the 
auspices of the National Humanities Center, carried out a comprehensive 
evaluation of all of the components of the Fulbright Program, issuing a 
formal report entitled ``Fulbright at Fifty'' (available via internet 
at www.nhc.rpt.nc.us:8080 or in hard copy as a part of the Solicitation 
Package). The Steering Committee's report reaffirmed the importance of 
the Fulbright Program, concluding that it remains ``a vital and 
successful means to address the current issues facing established and 
emerging nations in the post-Cold War era.'' With specific reference to 
the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program the Steering Committee's report 
made several suggestions that were drawn on by USIA in the preparation 
of this Request for Proposals.

Fulbright Senior Scholar Program

    For more than fifty years, the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program has 
offered grants for college and university faculty, as well as for non-
academic professionals (such as lawyers and journalists) and 
independent scholars, to lecture and conduct research abroad. Thousands 
of U.S. and foreign scholars and professionals have participated since 
the Fulbright Program's inception. In FY 2000, the Fulbright Senior 
Scholar Program will send abroad approximately 750 U.S. scholars and 
professionals to lecture and conduct

[[Page 56699]]

research and will bring to this country approximately 800 grantees for 
similar activities.
    Responsibility for the management of the Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program is currently shared among the U.S. Information Agency in 
Washington, fifty-one bilateral Fulbright Commissions and ninety U.S. 
Information Service (USIS) posts (the overseas network of USIA), and a 
cooperating private sector agency in the United States. Overall policy 
guidelines for the Senior Scholar Program are determined by the 
Presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board 
(JWFFSB).
    Under the Board's auspices, U.S. citizens are awarded grants each 
year through a merit-based, competitive process to teach undergraduate 
or graduate courses, collaborate with foreign colleagues on projects, 
pursue individual research, conduct seminars, consult with government 
ministries and educational institutions, advise on curriculum 
development, and guest lecture at other universities. Grant 
opportunities for U.S. scholars are determined overseas by binational 
Fulbright Commissions and USIS posts in coordination with USIA in 
Washington.
    Similarly, visiting scholars and professionals travel to the U.S. 
each year for research, teaching and guest lecturing. Grantees for this 
Program are chosen through open, merit-based competitions in each 
country, which are conducted by the Fulbright Commission and, in the 
absence of a Commission, by USIS posts. Through the Scholar-in-
Residence component of the Senior Scholar Program, USIA brings scholars 
and professionals to U.S. campuses that do not often host foreign 
visiting scholars. These campuses are selected through a competition 
managed by the cooperating agency.
    Special project activities involving U.S. and foreign scholars 
include the NATO program, Fulbright German Studies Seminar, U.S./German 
International Educational Exchange of Administrators, Japanese 
International Education Exchange Administrators and the Southeast Asia 
Summer Studies Institutes.
    Though the majority of grants under the Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program are and will continue to be individual awards for lecturing and 
research for a semester or one-year period, the Program encompasses 
other scholarly activities consistent with Fulbright principles. 
Current examples include shorter-term awards for distinguished senior 
scholars to lecture abroad; serial grants for multi-year exchange 
programs; and professional exchanges in such fields as law and 
journalism.

Eligibility Guidelines

    Public and private non-profit organizations with at least four 
years of experience in conducting international exchange programs and 
meeting the provisions described in IRS regulation 26 CFR 1.501(c) may 
apply to provide administrative and program services for the Fulbright 
Senior Scholar Program in Fiscal Year 2000.
    Because of its binational character, the Fulbright Program is both 
programmatically and administratively complex. It must accommodate a 
variety of circumstance in every geographic region of the world and be 
responsive to and supportive of many different constituencies in the 
United States and abroad, each with its own set of goals and concerns. 
At the same time, the integrity of the Program requires that it 
maintain the highest and most consistent standards of academic and 
professional quality in the selecting of candidates and implementation 
of projects as well as a single worldwide identity. USIA has therefore 
determine that the overall coherence and quality of Fulbright exchanges 
can be sustained only through a unified approach to program 
administration. Applicants--whether single organizations or consortia--
must therefore present a plan for administration of the Program 
worldwide.
    A single organization may apply to administer the entire Fulbright 
Senior Scholar Program. Alternatively, organizations may apply as a 
consortium, using subcontract arrangements, with each partner having a 
specialized regional, exchange, or other kinds of expertise; in this 
arrangement, one organization should be designated to be the recipient 
of the cooperative agreement award. Applications proposing 
administration of the Program by a consortium should provide a detailed 
description of arrangements for cooperative work among the partners and 
between the partners and the U.S. and overseas academic communities, 
bilateral commissions and other entities responsible for the Fulbright 
Program to ensure consistent Program quality.
    Organizations contemplating applying for this award may wish to 
consult the Steering Committee Report (July 1997), ``Fulbright at 
Fifty,'' also referred to in the opening paragraphs of this RFP, which 
makes a number of thoughtful recommendations about the program. The 
Agency views this open competitions as as important opportunity to 
elicit program ideas to support the Report's objectives and will 
carefully consider the variety of ideas that this competition will 
elicit.

Application Guidelines

    USIA will work cooperatively and closely with the recipient of this 
cooperative agreement award and will maintain a regular dialogue on 
administrative issues and questions as they arise over the duration of 
the award. Contingent upon satisfactory performance based on annual 
reviews, USIA intends to renew this award each year for a period of not 
less than four additional years. USIA reserves the right to renew the 
award beyond that period.
    The recipient of this cooperative agreement award will be 
responsible, under USIA supervision, for the following activities 
beginning in FY 2000: program planning; publicity; receipt of 
applications; applicant screening and nomination; post-nomination 
services; fiscal management and program monitoring and reporting. 
Responsibilities under the terms of the FY 2000 agreement will not 
include monitoring of the FY 1999 (or earlier) scholars. The FY 1999 
cooperative agreement award will support that activity.
    Program Planning: Applicants should, as part of the proposal, 
submit a detailed plan for administration of both the U.S. and Foreign 
Senior Scholar Programs. The plan should include the following: 
strategies for recruitment of U.S. scholars; planning for the placement 
of visiting foreign scholars at U.S. institutions (Note: some foreign 
scholars are self-placed); plans for tracking and monitoring of 
grantees; and plans for the orientation of U.S. grantees and enrichment 
activities for foreign grantees. The description of recruitment 
strategies should address the applicant's capacity to respond with 
flexibility to unanticipated needs and its ability to develop 
innovative models of grant awards. Proposals should include plans for 
enhancing the visibility for the Senior Scholar Program and broadening 
engagement with the U.S. and overseas academic communities, and may 
include other innovative activities, all in cooperation with USIA and 
other overseas administrative partners, as appropriate.
    In addition, applicants may propose, on a pilot basis and 
consistent with J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board 
guidelines, new program models such as projects in which U.S. and 
foreign experts consult abroad on educational reform and curriculum 
development; collaborative research projects involving scholars from 
multiple countries or regions; and

[[Page 56700]]

awards to institutions linking faculty from institutions in the U.S. 
and abroad; or other innovative projects which would enhance the 
traditional Fulbright model. The proposals must conform with USIA 
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. USIA 
projects and programs are always subject to the availability of funds.
    Publicity and Applications: The recipient of the grant award will 
be responsible for the preparation and distribution of an ``awards 
booklet'' announcing grant opportunities, application packets and 
general program announcements, annual directories of scholars, and 
flyers to publicize the program. Proposals should address written and 
electronic communication, professional networking and other means which 
will be used to enhance recruitment efforts. The award recipient will 
be responsible for establishing and maintaining a Website for the 
Senior Scholar Program with appropriate links to USIA and binational 
commissions overseas. Publicity and outreach efforts should include 
special emphasis on recruitment of those currently underrepresented in 
the Fulbright program, including non-academic professionals in fields 
consistent with broad program goals such as journalism and law, people 
with disabilities and racial and ethnic minorities.
    Screening and Selection Process: The recipient of the cooperative 
agreement award will: provide and accept applications from U.S. program 
applicants; provide appropriate notification to applicants of their 
status on an on-going basis; and pre-screen for eligibility all U.S. 
applicants. Suggested procedures should take into account the goal of 
USIA to convert from paper-based processing to electronic applications. 
The award recipient will be responsible for convening scholarly/
professional peer review committees to screen U.S. applications to 
determine which among them will be recommended to U.S. Information 
Service posts and Fulbright Commissions overseas and to the J. William 
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. In addition to coordinating the 
assessment of applicants' scholarly and professional credentials, the 
award recipient will also develop procedures to evaluate applicants' 
motivation, cross-cultural sensitivity and flexibility to ensure a 
successful exchange experience.
    The award recipient will also screen and place candidates for the 
following special countries and programs: Africa professional and 
research scholars, Southeast Asia Summer Studies Institute, Persian 
Gulf Review, and the Scholar-in-Residence program. Additional 
information on these programs is included in the Solicitation Package.
    Post-Nomination Services: The award recipient will be responsible 
for the following services for U.S. grantees: prepare letters for the 
J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board informing successful 
candidates of their selection; prepare letters for all candidates not 
selected or in alternate status; prepare grant award packages for 
candidates going to countries where the program is administered by USIS 
and to certain Commission countries; respond to queries from grantees; 
assist with pre-departure orientation for grantees going to China, 
Africa, the NIS, Eastern Europe and the Baltics; maintain data on 
participants; review medical forms and identify health problems; 
electronically enroll some grantees in health insurance; monitor and 
provide grantee reports; prepare recognition certificates for all 
grantees; and assist with emergencies.
    The award recipient will be responsible for the following services 
for foreign grantees: prepare awards packages for foreign scholars and 
professionals from non-Commission and approximately twenty Commission 
countries; confirm the U.S. affiliation of ``self-placed'' foreign 
scholars from certain Commission countries; arrange enrichment 
seminars, guest lecturing and other activities; maintain data on 
participants; review medical forms and identify health problems; 
electronically enroll some grantees in health insurance; monitor and 
prepare grantee reports; prepare recognition certificates for all 
grantees; serve as ``alternate responsible office'' for issuance of 
IAP-66 forms and submit appropriate annual reports on the use of IAP-66 
authority; and assist with emergencies.
    Fiscal Management and Program Reporting: The cooperative agreement 
award recipient will: manage grantee stipend payments, including tax 
withholding for foreign grantees, non-Commission and certain Commission 
countries; provide quarterly reports on actual and projected 
expenditures; transmit electronically program information for inclusion 
in Congressional correspondence and in USIA's Exchange Visitor Database 
and other reports; provide statistical, insurance and other ad hoc 
periodic reports; and monitor and audit internal functions and systems 
in accordance with U.S. Government and USIA guidelines.

Budget Guidelines

    A comprehensive line item administrative budget must be submitted 
with the proposal by the deadline. It is anticipated that funding for 
the cooperative agreement award for program administration will be 
approximately $4.5 million. In addition, a program budget totaling 
approximately $28 million for the global Fulbright Senior Scholar 
Program will be transferred to the recipient of the award in quarterly 
installments. As result of this competition, if the cooperative 
agreement is awarded to an organization not previously associated with 
the Fulbright Senior Scholar Program, the amount of the FY 2000 award 
will be adjusted downward to reflect a reduced level of administrative 
responsibilities in FY 2000. (The FY 1999 cooperative agreement awardee 
would continue to monitor and provide support for FY 1999 and earlier 
grantees.) Renewal awards to the FY 2000 awardee in subsequent years 
would be at levels commensurate with full levels of administrative 
responsibility.

Announcement Title and Number

    All communications with USIA concerning this RFP should refer to 
the announcement's title and reference number E/AE-00-01.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Ms. Rosalind Swenson, Office of 
Academic Program, Academic Exchanges Division, E/AE, Room 234, U.S. 
Information Agency, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20547, phone: 
(202) 619-4360, fax: (202) 401-5914; email: rswenson @usia.gov to 
request a Solicitation package containing more detailed information. 
The package will include all required application forms, standard 
guildelines for preparing a proposal, including specific criteria for 
preparation of the proposal budget and materials describing the special 
programs mentioned above.
    All inquiries about the Request for Proposals or any aspect of the 
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program should be submitted in writing to Ms. 
Swenson. Interested applicants should read the complete Federal 
Register announcement before sending inquiries or submitting proposals. 
Any questions or requests for information that applicants wish to make 
to overseas Fulbright Commissions or USIS post also should be submitted 
in writing to Ms. Swenson for transmission to those overseas offices.

[[Page 56701]]

To Download a Solicitation Package Via Internet

    The entire Solicitation Package may be downloaded from USIA's 
website at http://www.usia.gov/education/rfps. Please read all 
information before downloading.

To Receive a Solicitation Package Via Fax on Demand

    The entire Solicitation Package may be requested from the Bureau's 
``Grants Information Fax on Demand System,'' which is accessed by 
calling 202/401-7616. Please request a `'Catalog'' of available 
documents and order numbers when first entering the system.

Deadline for Proposals

    All proposal copies must be received at the U.S. Information Agency 
by 5 p.m. Washington, D.C. time on February 8, 1999. Faxed documents 
will not be accepted at any time. Documents postmarked the due date but 
received on a later date will not be accepted. Each applicant must 
ensure that the proposals are received by the above deadline.
    Applicants must follow in instructions in the Solicitation Package. 
The original and 15 copies of the application should be sent to: U.S. 
Information Agency, Ref.: E/AE-00-01, Office of Grants Management, E/
XE, Room 326, 301 4th Street, SW, Washington, D.C. 20547.
    Applicants must also submit the ``Executive Summary'' and 
``Proposal Narrative'' sections of the proposal on a 3.5'' diskette, 
formatted for DOS. These documents must be provided in ASCII text (DOS) 
format with a maximum line length of 65 characters. USIA will transmit 
these files electronically to USIS posts overseas for their review, 
with the goal of reducing the time it takes to get posts' comments for 
the Agency's grants review process.

Diversity, Freedom and Democracy Guidelines

    Pursuant to the Bureau's authorizing legislation, programs must 
maintain a non-political character and should be balanced and 
representative of the diversity of American political, social, and 
cultural life. ``Diversity'' should be interpreted in the broadest 
sense and encompass differences including, but not limited to 
ethnicity, race, gender, religion, geographic location, socio-economic 
status, and physical challenges. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 
adher to the advancement of this principle both in program 
administration and in program content. Please refer to the review 
criteria under the `Support for Diversity' section for specific 
suggestions on incorporating diversity into the total proposals. Pub. 
L. 104-319 provides that ``in carrying out programs of educational and 
cultural exchange in countries whose people do not fully enjoy freedom 
and democracy,'' USIA ``shall take appropriate steps to provide 
opportunity for participation in such programs to human rights and 
democracy leaders of such countries.'' Proposals should reflect 
advancement of this goal in their program contents, to the full extent 
deemed feasible.

Review Process

    USIA will acknowledge receipt of all proposals and will review them 
first for technically eligibility. Proposals must conform with Agency 
requirements and guidelines outlined in the Solicitation Package. 
Proposals will be deemed ineligible if they do not fully adhere to the 
guidelines established herein and in the solicitation packet. Eligible 
proposals will undergo further advisory professional revie at USIA 
which may include the use of advisory external consultants. Proposals 
may be reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel or by other Agency 
elements. Final funding decisions are at the discretion of USIA. All 
programs and activities are subject to the availability of funds. Final 
technical authority for assistance awards resides with the USIA grants 
office.

Year 2000 Compliance Requirement (Y2K Requirement)

    The Year 2000 (Y2K) issue is a broad operational and accounting 
problem that could potentially prohibit organizations from processing 
information in accordance with Federal management and program specific 
requirements including data exchange with USIA. The inability to 
process information in accordance with Federal requirements could 
result in grantees' being required to return funds that have not bee 
accounted for properly.
    USIA therefore requires all organizations use Y2K compliant systems 
including hardware, software, and firmware. Systems must accurately 
process data and dates (calculating, comparing and sequencing) both 
before and after the beginning of the year 2000 and correctly adjust 
for leap years.
    Additional information addressing the Y2K issue may be found at the 
General Services Administration's Office of Information Technology 
website at http:www.itpolicy,gsa.gov.

Review Criteria

    Technically eligible applications will be competitively reviewed 
according to the criteria stated below. These criteria are not rank-
ordered.
    1. Quality: Proposals should display an understanding of and 
respect for the goals and distinguished traditions of the Fulbright 
Program, as reflected in the requirements and priorities of this RFP. 
In their approach to program management, including the recruitment of 
scholars, proposals should demonstrate a commitment to excellence and 
creativity, including innovative collaborations with appropriate 
academic and professional partners.
    2. Program Planning: Proposals should respond to the planning 
requirements outlined in the RFP. Planning should demonstrate 
substantive rigor. A detailed agenda and work plan, including a 
timeline, should demonstrate feasibility and the applicant's logistical 
capacity to implement the Program.
    3. Ability to Achieve Program Objectives: Proposals should 
demonstrate clearly how the applicant will fulfill the Program's 
objectives and implement plans, while demonstrating innovation and a 
commitment to academic excellence. Proposals should demonstrate a 
capacity for flexibility in the management of the Program.
    4. Institutional Capacity: Proposed personnel and institutional 
resources should be adequate and appropriate to achieve Program goals. 
Applicants should demonstrate established links to the scholarly and 
professional communities in the U.S. and knowledge of other overseas 
educational environment, particularly an awareness of conditions in 
societies and educational institutions outside the United States as 
they apply to academic and professional exchange programs. Applicants 
should also demonstrate their capacity to provide an information 
management; database system that meets Program requirements, is 
compatible with USIA's systems and, in general, will advance the 
Fulbright Senior Scholar Program's ongoing conversion of paper-based 
processing to electronic applications and data storage.
    5. Institutional Performance: Proposals should demonstrate an 
institutional record of managing successful exchange programs 
including: significant experience in developing and administering 
international exchange programs, sound fiscal management, and full 
compliance with all reporting requirements for past Agency cooperative 
agreement awards as determined by USIA's Office of Contracts. In its 
review of proposals, USIA will consider the past performance of Agency 
award recipients

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and the demonstrated potential of organizations which have not 
previously received USIA awards.
    6. Cost-effectiveness: Overhead and administrative components 
including salaries should be economical while adequate and appropriate 
to provide the required services. Proposals should document plans to 
realize cost-savings and other efficiencies through the use of 
technology, administrative streamlining and other management 
techniques.
    7. Cost-sharing: Proposals should maximize cost-sharing. Preference 
will be given to proposals which demonstrate innovative approaches to 
leveraging of funds, fund-raising and other sharing of costs.
    8. Support of Diversity: Proposals should demonstrate the 
applicant's awareness and understanding of diversity and a commitment 
to its achievement through individual grant awards and institutional 
participation and in other ways in both administrative and programmatic 
aspects of the Fulbright program.
    9. Evaluation: The grant recipient should anticipate working 
closely with USIA to evaluate the program consistent with requirements 
of the Government Performance and Results Act.

Notice

    The terms and conditions published in this RFP are binding and may 
not be modified by any USIA representative. Explanatory information 
provided by the Agency that contradicts published language will not be 
binding. Issuance of the RFP does not constitute an award commitment on 
the part of the Government. The Agency reserves the right to reduce, 
revise, or increase proposal budgets in accordance with the needs of 
the program and the availability of funds. Awards made will be subject 
to periodic reporting and evaluation requirements.
    Programs must comply with J-1 visa regulations. Please refer to the 
Solicitation Package for further information.

Notification

    Final awards cannot be made until funds have been appropriated by 
Congress, allocated and committed through internal USIA procedures.

    Dated: October 16, 1998.
Judith Siegel,
Deputy Associate Director for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
[FR Doc. 98-28288 Filed 10-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8230-01-M